Parallel lives

Enjoying the ‘My Life & Cars’ series, and especially Ian Callum’s history (evo 294), which brought back memories. Duo-blue Mk1 RS2000. Tick. Genuine Chevette HS. Tick. XJC. Tick. Balding Scotsman of 1954 vintage. Tick. Must be something in the water.

My first RS was bought when it was two years old. I subsequently purchased increasingly costly restored cars in an attempt to recreate the magic of that first one but never succeeded. I guess it’s easy to pull cars apart but rather difficult to put them back together again properly. Maybe that doesn’t matter if they are concours cars and are never driven. Or maybe it was rose-tinted spectacles.

The HS was an HSR, one of the original 50 factory conversions. Fitted with twin 48 Dellortos it proved just the ticket for a road car used for driving around Edinburgh. The fun came to an end when the oil pump failed, necessitating a topend rebuild. The bill came to £1000, which was quite a hit back in 1982. I still have the bent valves.

And finally there was the XJC, which was a V12. I kept it for over 30 years. A wonderful thing. We now have a 911 like everyone else.

Bill Murray, Loanhead, Midlothian